At its twenty-first session, held on 19 October 2005, the Committee on Defence and Security of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia discussed the Police Bill in principle.

Committee members accepted the proposal of the chairman of the Legislative Committee, deputy Milos Aligrudic, to discuss the particulars of the Police Bill after it had been discussed in principle at a session of the National Assembly.

The Police Bill was presented by the Minister of the Interior in the Government of the Republic of Serbia, Dragan Jocic. Mr Jocic underlined the importance of the new Police Bill in Serbia’s accession to the European Union. The Police Bill foresees a new territorial organisation of the Ministry of the Interior, as well as a new concept of public security, including precise definitions of police powers and police tasks.

Mr Jocic also stressed that external oversight of the police would still be performed by the National Assembly, that police use of budgetary funding would be subject to audits, and that the internal oversight sector would be institutionalised.

The Police Bill also foresees a new office, that of Police Director. The Police Director would head the police force, which would ensure the force’s operational independence. With the narrowing of political liability only to the Minister, the Ministry of the Interior would be de-politicised, while the abolishment of ranks and introduction of titles would ensure the force’s demilitarisation. In addition, the police reserve is also to be abolished. Eighty articles of the Bill completely redefine police powers, while a large number of provisions are devoted to the issue of labour relations within the police, Mr Jocic said, presenting the Bill to the deputies.

A total of 76 amendments have been submitted to the Police Bill; these are to be discussed by the Committee on Defence and Security at its next session.

The session was chaired by the Chairman of the Committee on Defence and Security, Milorad Mircic.